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Brian McDermott was frustrated by match officials after Reading drew with Newcastle United.

Last Updated: 30/09/12 8:59am

Last season's Championship title winners twice took the lead in Saturday's match at the Madejski Stadium through Jimmy Kebe and Noel Hunt.

But Newcastle hit back through Demba Ba, with his first a spectacular volley and his second a controversial but accidental handled effort which was missed by referee Andre Marriner.

Asked how he felt after the game, McDermott told Sky Sports: "We are obviously disappointed, because we know we should have won the game.

"For me, it is a big error from the referee and the linesman not to see the goal, because it was going away and then he has put his hand out to score.

"So it is really disappointing but, having said that, I thought the performance of the team was excellent. That is the identity of our team, our club and that is what we are about."

Reading have just two points from five games since their return to the top flight but McDermott is confident their levels of performance are improving.

After a defeat by West Bromwich Albion last weekend, the manager thinks his side are on the right track having beaten Queens Park Rangers in the Capital One Cup in midweek before having the better of the game against Newcastle.

"We were hoping to get a result today," he said. "We were on the front foot. We were trying everything we could to get a result for our supporters. I thought we deserved to get a result.

"There was a different mentality out there, a different mind-set and that is the mind-set we need to go into with in every game."